Pilot freed as terror case fails

Wednesday 24 April 2002 21.37 EDT
First published on Wednesday 24 April 2002 21.37 EDT

An Algerian pilot accused by the United States of training some of the September 11 hijackers walked free from court yesterday after a British judge ruled that charges against him were unsubstantiated. He is now considering suing for damages.

Lotfi Raissi, 27, who was originally told he was likely to be charged with conspiracy to murder and could face the death penalty in the US, smiled as the judge said that there was no evidence whatsoever to support allegations of involvement in terrorism. His family clapped and outside the court he and his wife Sonia wept as they realised that an ordeal that has lasted seven months was finally over.

The man who was the first person to be accused of participating in the attacks on the World Trade centre and the Pentagon - and who was said to be the key suspect in the biggest investigation in criminal history - was free to go.

After all serious allegations were dropped, Mr Raissi faced extradition to the US on minor charges that he lied on a form for his pilot's licence after he failed to declare a previous criminal conviction and an old tennis injury.

District judge Timothy Workman, sitting in London's Bow Street magistrates court in London, discharged him, saying that the criminal conviction had been spent under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act and that the tennis injury had been declared on a similar form a year before and had not been considered a problem. He said he was not satisfied there was a prima facie case to answer.

After discharging the defendant, Mr Workman said to defence lawyers: "Your client has appeared before me on several occasions where allegations of involvement in terrorism have been made.

" I would like to make it clear I have received no evidence whatsoever to support that contention."

However, James Lewis QC, representing the US government, said: "Mr Raissi continues to be subject of an ongoing investigation into those responsible for the September 11 attacks."

Outside the court Mr Raissi, who was remanded in Belmarsh high security prison for five months before being given bail in February, said: "I am very relieved it is all over. I would like to thank the British public for believing in my innocence."

His lawyer, Richard Egan, said that the family was contemplating taking further action, possibly against the British police as well as the US authorities.

He said: "There is no evidence that has been produced in this case to substantiate any involvement in terrorism. There was talk at one stage of terrorism charges being brought and none could have been brought.

"The effect of these proceedings is that Mr Raissi has been held for five months on the basis of wholly unsubstantiated allegations before being released on bail. He and his family have had to endure the finger of suspicion being pointed at them. At the very least one would hope for an apology."

With reference to the prosecution saying Mr Raissi was still subject to an investigation, Mr Egan said they "had got a sound beating and had to say that.

"Bearing in mind the length of time this case has already gone on it's absurd to suggest that there is still an ongoing investigation into Mr Raissi," he said.

"It's time that this whole sorry farce came to an end. It's time that his absolute innocence is recognised."

A Guardian investigation revealed in January that the US evidence against Mr Raissi was flimsy and was causing concern in Whitehall that the US was holding the British justice system to ransom by insisting that it would eventually find a connection to link him to the September 11 attacks.

In an exclusive interview after he was released on bail, Mr Raissi said he had been made a scapegoat because he was Muslim and a pilot. He said his reputation had been ruined by the allegations and he did not know if he would ever be able to work as a pilot again.